Revision as of 19:35, 14 June 2007

Welcome to our wiki page!

Function Statement:

To speak for special populations children and their caregivers; these may include those who have learning or physical differences, those who are speaking English as a second language, those who are in a non-traditional school environment, those who are in non-traditional family settings (such as teen parents, foster children, children in the juvenile justice system, and children in gay and lesbian families), and those who need accommodation service to meet their needs. To offer leadership in discovering, developing, and disseminating information about library materials, programs, and facilities for special population children and their caregivers; to develop and maintain guidelines for selection of useful and relevant materials; and to discuss, develop, and suggest ways in which library education programs can prepare librarians to serve these children and their caregivers.

Current Committee Members

Chair - Martha Simpson (2005-2008)

Head of Children's Services

Stratford Library Association, 2203 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06517

PHONE: 203-385-4165 FAX: 203-381-2079

msimpsonmls@comcast.net

Erin N. Ford (2006-2007)

Library Manager, Youth Services

Independence Regional Library, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

6000 Conference Dr., Charlotte, NC 28212

704-567-8490

Enf9877@hotmail.com

John B. Harer, PhD (2006-2008)

Assistant Professor

Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology

East Carolina University, Greenville, SC 27858

252-328-4389

harerj@ecu.edu

Barbara Klipper (2005-2008)

The Ferguson Library, One Public Library Plaza, Stamford, CT 06904

bklipper@fergusonlibrary.org

Danielle Shapiro (2005-2007)

Highlawn Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

205 Oakwood Ave., Staten Island, NY 10301

d.shapiro@brooklynpubliclibrary.org

William R. Reed (2006-2007)

Cleveland Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

17121 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44110

Phone: 216-623-2911 WATTS: 800-362-1262 FAX: 216-623-7036

will.reed@cpl.org

Past Chair - Carrie Banks

Supervising Librarian, The Child's Place for Children with Special Needs/Kidsmobile

Brooklyn Public Library, 2065 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234

718.253.4948 voice; 718.253.3450 tty; 718.252.1520 fax

C.Banks@BrooklynPublicLibrary.org

Current Project:

Our committee is hard at work planning a joint preconference with ASCLA for the 2007 Annual ALA Conference in Washington, D.C.

This joint ALSC/ASCLA preconference will feature keynote speaker Harriet McBryde Johnson, a leading disabilities rights activist, lawyer, and author of Too Late to Die Young and Accidents of Nature, is the keynote speaker.

Morning panel discussions will focus on patrons with disabilities addressing services and materials they would like from libraries as well as successful programs and projects that have made a difference to library patrons with disabilities. Afternoon breakout sessions will address assistive and adaptive technology; learning disabilities in the library; people of color with disabilities in the library; patrons with Autism Spectrum Disorders; programming and outreach to people with disabilities; and portrayal of people with disabilities in literature. Preconference attendees will have the opportunity to attend a disabilities resource fair and meet vendors throughout the day.

Closing remarks will be delivered by Dr. Katherine Schneider, a retired clinical psychologist who has taught, counseled, supervised and trained psychologists at four universities. She established the Schneider Family Book Award four years ago to recognize books for children and youth that deal well with disability issues. A networking reception will immediately follow the preconference.